The Staffymum's Book Nook: Family Drama

Published: 23rd January 2023

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

She’s the daughter you never knew… But how far will she go to get the life she never had?

Today I’m hosting a family party. One that’s different to every celebration we’ve had before. Because I’ve invited my secret daughter to it.

I’ve never forgiven myself for abandoning her as a baby, with just a scrawled note tucked into her soft yellow blanket, saying her name was Hope.

As soon as she reached out, I knew I had to meet her. My family all seem ready to accept her with open arms, their forgiveness a blessing I barely deserve. And I dare to believe that maybe we are all going to have a happy ending after all.

So I try to put all those small, strange things that have been happening to me in recent weeks out of my mind. The missing money, my lost charm bracelet, the broken window, the fire…

But as the drinks are poured and everyone’s talking animatedly, I hear a knock at the door. And something in my heart tells me this family is about to be torn apart. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it…

An utterly gripping psychological suspense novel with a twist you’ll never see coming. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards and K.L. Slater.

MY THOUGHTS:

The daughter you never knew...wants the life she never had...

Well, that wasn't quite what I expected. THE FAMILY REUNION is my fourth read of Karen King's psychological thrillers and I wasn't disappointed. Although I would class this one as more in the domestic thriller genre, as it was specifically centred around the family and its extending tendrils. Throughout the entire story there is an undercurrent of something not quite right and it seems the answer is just staring us in the face...why can't anyone else see it? Or maybe they have...or maybe they haven't. But one thing is for sure...nothing is as it seems.

Mary hasn't always had the charmed life she's known with husband Paul of thirty eight years, having then been blessed with two children - Joanne and Jason respectively. Her childhood was one she lived in fear and shame, and grieving the loss of her own mother some years before. Maybe that is what drew her into the arms of 18 year old rebel-without-a-cause Robbie. He claimed to love her and that is exactly what she yearned for and thought she found in his arms and his bed. But when she realised she was pregnant and when she went to tell Robbie the news, she discovered something far worse. How utterly alone she found herself at just 15 years old forced to keep her secret (and the one she had witnessed) for forty five years.

And now her beloved husband Paul was gone. Joanne and Jason were grown with families, children and lives of her own. For forty five years, Mary had kept her shameful secret to herself. For fear of losing her husband's respect, she'd never told him or her children. But now, what did she have to lose? The time had come to find Hope, her first born.

As soon as Mary meets Cathy (as she is now called), she feels an instant bonding with her. She can see she has Robbie's dark looks and after a DNA test, Mary knows that she is without a doubt her long lost daughter. But how to make up for forty five years? This is where things get a little sticky.

At first Cathy wants to get to know Mary before meeting the rest of the family. Understandable, as meeting your mother for the first time would be a daunting experience...meeting the rest of her family even more so. But Mary is convinced that Joanne and Jason will love Cathy just has much as she does. But is Mary blinded by her guilt for abandoning her baby all those years ago that she is ready to believe anything? Because as soon as the siblings meet, it is clear that tensions are high. Are Joanne and Jason jealous with Cathy's arrival on the scene that she will now get a slice of what they believe is coming to them?

And then strange things begin to happen. Or had they always been there and no one really noticed because Mary lived alone in a sprawling six bedroom home she had no need for? It seems Mary has been somewhat forgetful lately - leaving keys in the fridge, turning the router off, leaving windows open - what is Mary was developing what she had always feared? What her mother had before she took her own life? Early onset dementia?

But it seems, though, that Mary isn't the only one who's been keeping secrets.

THE FAMILY REUNION begins off slowly with a gradual build as we get to know Mary and what has brought her to where she is now. It's not until about 25% into the story that things begin to get a little interesting, especially when the narrative changes, switching things up a little. The story unfolds through Mary, Alison and Cathy's perspectives throughout and it's interesting to get the insight into each of their minds and lives. It is interesting to note that we don't get Joanne's perspective - I wonder why that is? But each woman has a pivotal part to play in the unfolding of events. And despite its slow start, the story does pick up pace bringing everything to a stunning conclusion in the shocking epilogue.

Filled with secrets, lies and deceit throughout, THE FAMILY REUNION is one reunion you want to stay well away from...whilst sneakily turning the pages to find out what happens anyway. You just wouldn't want to be in their shoes! It has sibling rivalry abound! All three of them, I could have slapped them. They all behaved appallingly. Joanne and Jason were entitled and spoilt and, while they very probably were concerned for their mother's welfare, they were also looking at the bigger picture with themselves having a starring role.

So who is Cathy really? And what does she want?

What is Joanne and Jason's real problem with Cathy?

Is Mary truly blinkered by her own guilt that she can see no wrong in Cathy?

Which of them have secrets? Or do they all have them?

Do any of them know how to speak the truth?

Do any of them truly have Mary's best interests at heart?

And is Mary truly in danger?

There are so many questions...so many secrets...so many lies...who to believe? This is a story about family dynamics at its core and how they each behave in the face of change. First with the death of their husband and father, and then with the new arrival of a long lost daughter and sibling. There were plenty of twists and plenty of red herrings but nothing will prepare you for the shocking twist that you won't see coming at the end. Nicely played, Ms King.

Overall, THE FAMILY REUNION is a gripping tale of family drama and suspense that will keep you guessing as well as entertained until the brilliant end. There were a few questions I felt left unanswered (about who did what) in the end but overall still a great read.

I would like to thank #KarenKing, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheFamilyReunion in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Karen King is a multi-published author of both adult and children’s books. Currently published by Bookouture and Headline, Karen writes about the light and dark of relationships. Her eleventh romantic novel, The Spanish Wedding Disaster, has recently been published and her third psychological thriller The Mother In Law is out in July, with a fourth one in February 2023.

Karen has also had 120 children’s books, two young adult novels, and several short stories for women’s magazines published. Her thrillers The Perfect Stepmother and The Stranger in my Bed and her romantic novel The Cornish Hotel by the Sea became International Amazon bestsellers.

Karen is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. She now lives in Spain where she loves to spend her non-writing time exploring the quaint local towns with her husband, Dave, when she isn’t sunbathing or swimming in the pool, that is.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

Tuesday, 24 January 2023

REVIEW: My Sister's Secret by Diane Saxon

My Sister's Secret by Diane Saxon

Genre: Domestic thriller, Domestic drama, Suspense

Read: 16th January 2023

Published: 19th January 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Four sisters, four secrets. Who has the deadliest of them all?

Something happened to me when I was nine.

My childhood memories before that fateful day are gone. Extinguished.

The aftermath has become a living nightmare with a guilt that runs so deep that I’m not sure I can ever tell anyone. I fear I've left it too late...

The burden of my secret and the hurt and pain that silence cost each and every member of my family is too overwhelming.

But you can't avoid fate and now I have the opportunity to right the wrongs inflicted on us.

There was no justice. Not then. Not now. But I can change that.

The big question is, how far am I willing to go?

MY THOUGHTS:

The bigger the secret...the deeper the lies...

Four sisters - Tess, Bobbi, Alexis and Sarah - were born years apart and, though very different personalities, remain close now that they are adults. Because something happened when they were children that drew them together and kept them bonded throughout their lives. Even a shadow of a memory can still be as vivid today as the day it happened, as it did for the sisters. One of them endured a twisted kind of depravity whilst another suffered her own trauma silently. And yet it affected all of them.

Over three decades later, Tess is married to a philandering sixty-two year old who she herself had stolen from his previous wife; Bobbi is happily married to Craig, a heavy vehicle driver and a life and sanity saver, who helps keep their family together while she works long hours as a social worker; Alexis, a paramedic, is a emotional anxious wreck with two husbands behind her and a train wreck of broken relationships; and then there is Sarah, the youngest of them all who probably suffered the least of them, is a gym instructor and personal trainer who has her own happy news to impart which she fears will once again be overshadowed by Alexis' drama...again.

A face from the past is splashed across the local newspapers with the news that after an emotional court case the judge had deemed the case against him to be weak and unable to convict him, freeing him to offend again. Gary Philpotts is a serial offender who began his deviant path in his teens and, although he has been jailed for drug possession and dealing, has never been found guilty or convicted or served time for the abhorrent atrocities he has committed over several decades.

When the sisters get wind of his all-but-acquittal, they are livid. How could he get away with such crimes for so long? Everyone knows what he was capable of, what he was guilty of, and yet the police failed to make any charges stick. And so the sisters call an emergency meeting for mutual support. But one of them secretly takes things further...

But he wasn't the only man guilty of abuse. How many others deserve punishment for their sins?

MY SISTER'S SECRET is very different from what I expected. It was a slow burn to begin with that I did wonder if it was every going to pick up. I think it took almost 30% before the sisters actually convened to discuss the shocking development they just discovered. After that, the pace did pick up a little more but it is not fast pace page turner. More like a casual stroll that allows you to uncover little tidbits along the way.

The story itself is quite character driven and for once we are spared the teenage angst from the moody 15 year old who turns out to be not so bad. The story unfolds through the eyes of each sister throughout, with an odd unnamed first person narrative who battles their own trauma and memories whilst trying to maintain their every day mask. You don't know which of the sisters this anonymous narrative is but I did narrow it down fairly early on. And yet their identity isn't revealed until the very end. There are several red herrings to throw you off track but don't be fooled by them...or the false sense of security you may feel. Because this is one heck of a family drama of massive proportions.

The subject matter is one that is incredibly emotive but Saxon handles it sensitively without any graphic description...more nuance and innuendo which more than give the reader the idea. Also a nod to the author for including herself a mention in the plot.

MY SISTER'S SECRET is filled with secrets throughout...but which one of the sisters has the biggest secret?

Overall, a good solid read that was entertaining despite the slow start which ends up being a highly charged and emotional read.

Can you guess the sister?

Trigger warning: rape, child abuse, molestation.

I would like to thank #DianeSaxon, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #MySistersSecret in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diane Saxon lives in the Shropshire countryside with her tall, dark, handsome husband, a retired policeman. She has two gorgeous daughters, a Dalmatian, two cats, numerous rare breed chickens, and a black Labrador called Beau—a name borrowed by her hero in For Heaven's Cakes.

After working for years in a demanding job, Diane gave it up when her husband said, “Follow that dream.” She subsequently has 12 Romances published for the U.S. market.

Inspired by her long, lonely walks in atmospheric woodlands, Diane has gone over to the dark side to write British psychological crime thrillers. With a four-book deal through Boldwood Books, her first in series Find Her Alive was published October 2019 followed by Someone's There in February 2020 and What She Saw is due in September 2020.

Social Media links:

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Monday, 23 January 2023

REVIEW: I'll Never Tell by Philippa East

I'll Never Tell by Philippa East

Genre: Psychological thriller, Family Drama

Read: 23rd January 2023

Published: 5th January 2023

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Keep your family close, and your secrets closer…

To the outside world, the Goodlights are perfect.

Julia is a lawyer, Paul a stay-at-home dad who has dedicated his life to helping their daughter Chrissie achieve her dreams as a talented violinist.

But on the night of a prestigious music competition, which has the power to change everything for Chrissie and her family, Chrissie goes missing.

She puts on the performance of a lifetime, then completely disappears. Suddenly every single crack, every single secret that the family is hiding risks being exposed.

Because the Goodlights aren’t perfect. Not even close.

MY THOUGHTS:

A missing teenager...a family with secrets...

This family drama-psychological thriller started out interesting when teenager Chrissie goes missing after a concert in London. Mum Julia is a lawyer and dad Paul is a stay-at-home dad and this rich suburban family lives in an affluent part of Oxford with Chrissie going to a private academy for school. At 16 years old, Chrissie is incredibly gifted having started playing the violin when she was barely at school.

Paul had dreams of becoming a musical virtuoso but his family came from modest beginnings and therefore didn't have the means. He encourages Chrissie to pursue of what he thought were her dreams too...playing, practising and performing...and hopefully gaining a place at an exclusive boarding school academy for musicians. He spends hours upon hours practising with her in her practise room, set up solely for that purpose. And over the ensuing eight months, Chrissie performs and achieves the next step to becoming Young Musician of the Year.

So when they head to London for her to perform in the finals for this prestigious event, the last thing Paul and Julia expect is for Chrissie to disappear. But after an impromptu fire alarm, there is no sign of their daughter and so they head back to Oxford in the hope she has returned home.

But upon arrival, despite Chrissie's bedroom light on, they find her empty room in disarray with her pohne smashed on the floor...and no sign of Chrissie.

As the story flips between "before" and "after" the event, we find her parents' lives are also littered with secrets (some of which make no sense) and a deluge of lies and deception. Little by little, these secrets begin to break the surface as Paul and Julia are put under intense pressure in the wake of Chrissie's disappearance.

The story started off well but then it just meandered off into...I'm not quite sure. The story was weird, as were the family, and I found it all just a little bit confusing. The family is seriously dysfunctional but their level of dysfunctionality was not overly riveting and I found myself longing for it to end. And when it did...I still found there were unanswered questions.

I'LL NEVER TELL is an average read that started off well but lost its pace and spark. In the end I found it was a little waste of my time because I felt nothing was really resolved.

I'm sure it will appeal to readers who enjoy stories of complex family dramas with a slow building tension throughout.

I would like to thank #PhilippaEast, #Netgalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #IllNeverTell in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Philippa East is a fiction writer with HQ/HarperCollins and she also works as a clinical psychologist.

Philippa grew up in Scotland before moving to Oxford and then London to complete her clinical psychology training. A few years ago, she left the NHS to set up her own part-time practice and dedicate more hours to writing. The result was her debut novel LITTLE WHITE LIES, which was longlisted for The Guardian's Not-The-Booker Prize and shortlisted for the CWA "New Blood" Award 2020.

Released in 2021, Philippa's second book SAFE AND SOUND is another twisty and compelling tale. For a fun preview, check out the video trailer on Philippa's Amazon Author page (best with sound on!). Philippa’s brilliant third book, I'LL NEVER TELL, will release in January 2023 and is available to pre-order via Amazon now. You can hear more about the book via Philippa's latest two Author Update videos on this page.

Philippa now lives in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat. She loves reading (of course!) and long country walks, and she also performs in a local folk duo called The Miracle Cure. Alongside her writing, Philippa continues to work as a psychologist and therapist.

Social media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Saturday, 24 September 2022

REVIEW: The Foster Family by Nicole Trope

The Foster Family by Nicole Trope

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Domestic Suspense, Family drama

Read: 23rd September 2022

Published: 21st September 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

In their holiday home, a stone’s throw from the beach, Elizabeth dials the police with trembling hands. ‘My little boy, he’s missing.’

Elizabeth is Joe’s foster mother, but she loves him like her own. The five-year-old, who adores superheroes and watching the birds outside, is the child she has dreamed of. As she looks into the garden, where he was playing just moments ago, her heart feels like it has been ripped from her chest.

She was meant to save Joe from his birth mother who almost harmed his chances at life. The woman who has been trying to desperately get him back.

She was meant to protect Joe from her husband. The man who, right now, lies to the police, saying he was making breakfast when Joe disappeared. Who squeezes her shoulder, ordering her to be quiet.

She was meant to look after Joe. They are just footsteps from the ocean, and little Joe can’t swim.

Then Joe’s tiny blue sandal is found in the water. If the worst has happened – the unimaginable – Elizabeth will never forgive herself. Because what if the secret she has been keeping for years, the guilt eating her alive, has somehow hurt her little boy?

It’s time to tell the truth – even if it means losing the child who is her whole world. Even if it could be the death of her.

A totally addictive, twist-packed psychological thriller about family secrets, a marriage on the edge, and the deadly line between love and hate. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty and Freida McFadden.

MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Nicole Trope's tense domestic tale THE FOSTER FAMILY.

Nicole Trope has done it again! I love her books and am always excited when she has another coming out. Each story is emotive and filled with tension, drama and even a little bit of mystery and THE FOSTER FAMILY is no different. She has the innate ability to draw you in from the very first page and keep you invested throughout the journey. And it is a journey she takes you on. Her skillful prose and the way in which she entwines the past and present into one can only speak of her proficiency in both her writing and the genre with which she floods. She can always be relied upon to spin us a tale of intrigue and tension that will get under your skin.

On the beautiful south coast, a couple of hours from Sydney, Elizabeth, husband Howard and their 5 year old foster son Joe arrive at their holiday home for the next month leading up to Christmas. The weather is warm, the sun hot and the sandy beach offers plenty of recreational enjoyment for the family. Elizabeth wants nothing more than to give Joe all that his heart desires but Howard rules the home with an iron fist - both figuratively and literally. He has a list of rules that are far too many for such a young child and yet there will be consequences should Joe fail to follow them.

Across the road, watching from his window is 80 year old Gordon. He enjoyed the idea of a young family on the quiet street again and is eager to introduce himself. But something stops him. A cross word, a frowned expression and a pointed finger that was oblivious to his watchful eye and Gordon realises that all is not as it seems. What should he do?

One morning he goes out to fill his bird feeder when he sees little Joe laying on the bench outside with a blanket over him. It might be summer but the mornings can still be chilly on the coast. So why would a child be sleeping outside when he should be safely tucked up in bed?

The more Gordon watches, the more he realises that something is amiss with the family across the street. But when he phones his son Malcolm and shares his concerns, he tells him to keep out of it. But Gordon isn't so sure.

And then one morning as he returns from his walk, he is shocked to find police cars outside the house. It seems Joe has gone missing. And Gordon can't help but think if only he had called the police and shared his concerns earlier, maybe he could have prevented this from happening. But he isn't sure himself of what he saw in the fogginess his deteriorating mind has become.

Across the street, Elizabeth is frantic and Howard is angry. He has pointed the finger at "the old guy across the street" accusing him of showing a perverted interest in Joe. But Elizabeth knows that not to be true. He is just a nice old guy that is a bit forgetful sharing his love of birds. But can she speak out against her husband and live with the consequences? Or should she just keep quiet? What if Joe's biological mother has come looking for them? What if she's found him and taken him? The authorities have denied her any access whatsoever after she was caught trying to sell him for $50,000.

And then there are the intermittent chapters of an unnamed man who stops to help a horrifically injured young girl. Who are they? And where do they fit into the story?

But what's most important is finding Joe. Where could he be? Did he run off? Did Howard hurt him? Has Gordon taken him? Or has the biological mother returned to claim him, albeit illegally? The possibilities are endless.

The story unfolds primarily through the alternating perspectives of Elizabeth and Joe both leading up to the disappearance and on the day of. While interspersed are those of the aforementioned unnamed man. The plot is complex with a wealth of characters that each play a part. The beginning may be a little confusing to start with, especially as the unnamed chapters have no timeline on them so we have no idea of when it takes place. Is it present or sometime in the past? But it soon falls into a steady rhythm that flows quickly as the pace quickens.

The characters are expertly drawn though it was hard to warm to Elizabeth and definitely not to Howard. The winner of the story, for me, was Gordon who wanted so much to help but was battling with his own deteriorating mind. Nicole expertly gave us a window into the mind of someone in the early to mid stages of dementia...and it is both eye-opening and heartrendering. It is something close to my heart just now.

As always, Nicole's writing is solid and skillful as the story seamlessly flows between perspectives, timelines and events. While the ending did require a little suspension of belief, it was a rather happy ending for all and that in itself is satisfying, whether it was believable or not.

Overall, THE FOSTER FAMILY is an emotive yet tense read that while not really a thriller, is still fast paced tale of domestic suspense. I cannot speak highly enough of Nicole Trope's work and I have loved everything of hers I have read. Worth every star.

I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheFosterFamily in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.

The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story.

She is now published by Bookouture and is an Amazon top 100 bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.

She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

Thursday, 25 August 2022

REVIEW: The Favorite Child by Cathryn Grant

The Favorite Child by Cathryn Grant

Genre: Domestic thriller, Family drama, Suspense

Read: 22nd August 2022

Published: 14th August 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Annie’s sister has gone missing. Why doesn’t anyone care?

Annie feels like she's at a good place in her life. Happily married, expecting her first child, enjoying a vacation with her extended family at their beautiful coastal home.

But then her sister, Sunday, suddenly goes missing.

Annie is immediately concerned, but the rest of the family assure her that everything's fine, this is the kind of thing Sunday does, she'll be back…

But Annie knows in her heart that something is very wrong. And she won't rest until she sees her sister safe and well.

As Annie digs for the truth, she realizes that some of her family are not what they seem. And as she draws closer to uncovering their horrifying secret, Annie finally understands that she and her unborn child are in terrible danger…

MY THOUGHTS:

The holiday from hell and a monstrous family...

I know the name Cathryn Grant and have seen her books on Amazon, and I think I may have even purchased one at some stage, but this is the first time I have actually read one of her books. THE FAVORITE CHILD begins as a slow build not entirely uninteresting and a whole lot of psycho going on. My favourite kind...especially in domestic thrillers. But this family is a whole different kettle of fish...and a rather smelly lot, I might add, with things definitely with an odour of fishiness.

Annie is five months pregnant and has returned to the family home on the Californian coast with her husband Michael for the family's annual summer holiday get-together. Almost from the first moment they arrive things are amiss...and they very quickly go downhill from there. Her younger sister Sunday, the favourite child of her parents, has seemingly packed her bags and disappeared overnight. And no one, but Annie, seems to be overly concerned. As they sit around the breakfast table, Annie tries to raise her concerns but no one takes her seriously, citing Sunday's tantrums for not getting her own way and flouncing off in a huff and her pregnancy hormones. But Annie is worried for her sister. Why, she's not entirely sure. But something doesn't feel right.

The further Annie digs, the more she is convinced that Sunday didn't just up and leave. And the more her family accuse her of being hysterical and that it is not good for "Baby Girl". In an act of desperation, Annie calls Sunday's ex-husband Liam and relays her concerns to him. He has always been wary of the family and their cult-like behaviour and sibling bullying which he found damaging to Sunday. Annie is even more convinced that something is wrong when Liam reveals Sunday had called him just a few days about, upset about something, though he didn't know what. Why would she call her ex-husband when she could confide in her family?

Added to her concerns are the disturbing dreams and visions she only seems to have whenever she returns to her family home. They are both vivid and vague in equal measures and so confusing she struggles to understand what they mean. So what is her subconscious trying to tell her?

Told in the first person through Annie's narrative, peppered with the odd past chapters from each of the siblings', THE FAVORITE CHILD is an intriguing and multilayered family drama of domestic suspense with deep-seated secrets at its very core. From the very beginning it is clear that there is something very wrong in the Ledger household. They appear to be the perfect family with a successful entrepreneurial business based on the "family principles" that has been drummed into the children from an early age. The father sees himself as something of an expert on the matter and how to keep a marriage alive, children from going off the rails and a family together. The whole things screamed "cult" to me...particularly when threatened, the family then gather close and rebuff the adversary. It is creepy. And quite honestly, the family are creepy. They are highly dysfunctional with questioning behaviour and an abnormal belief system that appeared on the surface to be admirable, but below the surface was anything but.

One of the most irritating aspects throughout the story was the fact that the family saw Annie's baby as their's and constantly referred to it as "Baby Girl" in a very proprietorial way. But the even more irritating aspect was their constant touching or rubbing Annie's pregnant belly whilst talking about "Baby Girl" as if the child was theirs and Annie was just the incubator bearing the extension of their family. It made me cringe.

The further the story developed and the more Annie uncovered, I was just screaming at her to pack her bags and leave! Her hubby Michael was more than eager to do just that but Annie refused to do so until she found out what really happened to Sunday. Her family were truly a bunch of fruit loops. Completely bonkers. The lot of them. Added to that is the constant gaslighting, Annie didn't know what or who to believe. But there was something so addictive about the storyline that kept you drawn in and I was just itching to find out what happened.

Despite the confusing narrative, whether or not Annie was reliable or not, I managed to piece together what I thought happened through the bits that were drip-fed to us between the lines. I guessed a couple of the reveals but wasn't sure how the entire mystery played out. The ending was satisfactory and, quite honestly, something of a relief. There was a nice little twist at the end that gave readers a sense of closure as it does for Annie.

THE FAVORITE CHILD is a dark and sometimes disturbing domestic suspense thriller that was as intriguing as it was addictive. I was impressed with my first read by this author that I will continue to look out for others penned by her in the future...and add those to my ever-growing TBR pile.

Overall, a superbly twisted quick read with a decent plot twist and an even more disturbing family.

I would like to thank #CathrynGrant, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheFavoriteChild in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Cathryn Grant writes psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, and ghost stories. She’s the author of twenty-three novels. She’s loved crime fiction all her life and is endlessly fascinated by the twists and turns, and the dark corners of the human mind.

Cathryn's fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines, The Shroud Quarterly Journal, and been anthologized in The Best of Every Day Fiction and You, Me & A Bit of We. Her short story, “I Was Young Once”, received an honorable mention in the 2007 Zoetrope All-story Short Fiction contest.

Her psychological suspense fiction reveals the motives and desires that lead to suburban crime. She’s the author of two psychological thrillers, seven suburban noir novels, the Alexandra Mallory psychological suspense series, the Haunted Ship Trilogy, the Madison Keith Ghost Story series, and a variety of short fiction.

When she’s not writing, Cathryn reads fiction, eavesdrops, and tries to play golf without hitting her ball into the sand or the water. She lives on the Central California coast with her husband and two cats.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Sunday, 22 May 2022

REVIEW: The Woman in my Home by Kerry Fisher

The Woman in my Home by Kerry Fisher

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 13th May 2022

Published: 20th May 2022

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

I was starting to believe it might be my turn for the fairy tale. A man who adored me, someone to return to at the end of the day and to share my life with. And Rebecca. Capable, reliable Rebecca who could help me to manage my busy home…

Finally, Cath has met someone: a man she loves, Robin, and who adores her in return. And after years of managing fine on her own, running a successful business, raising her son, and caring for her elderly mother, she feels she deserves some happiness. And who better to provide it than charming, fun-loving Robin?

She expected everyone to be delighted for her. But her friends and family are suspicious of Robin. And Rebecca, a desperate single mother who Cath has hired as a live-in housekeeper, doesn’t trust him either. He’s too slick, he’s too perfect and it all happened too fast… how well does Cath really know him?

Cath is used to taking care of herself; she’s nobody’s fool. But when things start to go wrong in the house that’s been her haven for all these years, she’s forced to ask herself whether the man she loves is really what he seems… And having let Rebecca in to every part of her life, is Cath ready to face the secrets she might find there?

From the Amazon charts bestselling author of The Silent Wife and The Woman I Was Before, The Woman in My Home is a gripping read about family secrets and lies. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.

MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kerry Fisher's thrilling THE WOMAN IN MY HOME.

I've read a few books by Kerry Fisher but none of them had captured my heart like my first read by her "The Mother I Could Have Been"...until this one. To be honest, I'm not a huge contemporary women's fiction fan but slip in a little mystery or thriller aspect and you'll have me eating out of your hand. There wasn't a huge mystery to this one as we could see exactly what was happening even if some couldn't...but it certainly had that domestic thriller aspect I love. Provoking just the right amount of emotion, I have also wanted to smack some sense into a few characters whilst happily cheering alongside other. I'll say it now...Dolly was my favourite.

I wasn't entirely sure why it was titled THE WOMAN IN MY HOME until about halfway through when the author revealed a huge twist that changed how the reader looked at them...and the bigger picture. Even I, who is rarely hoodwinked, didn't see what one coming.

At fifty-seven years old, Cath has found love again after some thirty years as a single mum and living alone in her sprawling gated mansion complete with pool and tennis court. Having kicked out her womanising husband who found younger women far more attractive, Cath then turned her life around from nothing to a successful businesswoman that proved to be very lucrative indeed. But a time comes in a woman's life when she has made sacrifice after sacrifice so that her child never went without and now said child is thirtysomething and married with his own landscaping business, when she craves that companionship that has been missing from her life since her philandering husband walked out.

Enter Robin. He's handsome, charismatic, easy going and best of all, he loves Cath. Wealthy and charming in equal measure, he is perfect and everything she never thought she could want or hope for again. But is he really?

Thirtysomething Rebecca thought her life was perfect until her husband decided to guarantee the house she was still paying a mortgage on for loans he was taking out for some get-rich-quick schemes. All without telling her. So their marriage over, she packed up what was left of her life with her two young children and kipped on her heavily pregnant sister's settee for the foreseeable. Unfortunately while hubby was living the life of riley by the seaside with his parents, Rebecca was fast wearing out her welcome with her children in a cramped house preparing for a new baby.

After dropping Megan and Eddie at school, Rebecca traipse from business to business looking for any vacancy that will enable her to secure a roof over their heads and put food on the table without relying on her sister and husband's dwindling patience. She then wanders into the affluent Hetherington Close where she meets elderly Dolly struggling with a wheelie bin. The two women get talking and before long, Rebecca discovers that the beautiful house she has just been admiring belongs to Dolly's daughter Cath who owns and run a successful recruitment agency. Not wanting to farewell this kindly old grandmother-type, Rebecca offers to drive Dolly home where she admires her overgrown garden afterwhich she offers to help her get the garden into order for which Dolly agrees to pay her.

When Dolly has an accident resulting in a broken ankle, she moves into Cath's house where Rebecca follows and ends up as a cleaner-cum-housekeeper living in the run-down tennis pavillion in the backyard. Of course, Rebecca is desperate and undoubtedly grateful for Cath's generosity. Over the course of the following weeks, Rebecca is privy to Cath and Robin's growing closeness although aware of son Sandy's reticence of the man.

When some of Dolly's precious jewellery goes missing from her house, Robin is quick to point the finger at Rebecca...after all, she is essentially homeless relying on Cath's good nature without a penny to her name. But Rebecca insists she didn't take the items despite having plenty of opportunity to steal them.

And then Robin's property development threatens to grind to a halt and his ex-wife is upping the stakes delaying the divorce and sale of their marital home. Despite Robin's pleas, she appears to be out for as much as she can swindle out of him putting him in a quandary...particularly as he and Cath intend to marry in just a couple of months' time.

Until one morning, there is a surprise visit that will set the ball in motion to turn everything on its head, revealing a twist I didn't see coming!

THE WOMAN IN MY HOME is a complex tale of secrets, lies, manipulation and betrayal. There is mystery, tension and even better, an unreliable narrator you don't know whether to believe them or not. Riddled with red herrings and misconceptions, the author deftly guides us up blind alleys for the ride of our lives. Her storytelling is compelling, her narrative sharp and witty - especially with Dolly and some of Rebecca's quips.

The story unfolds through Cath and Rebecca's eyes which gives the reader two very different perspectives and circumstances. It is humbling to note that Cath never forgot her beginnings or how difficult it was to rise above her husband's mistakes to make a life for herself and son Sandy. So she was very understanding of Rebecca's predicament despite Robin's constant probing that they know nothing about her.

Well paced with a plethora of secrets woven within, THE WOMAN IN MY HOME does explore a very different side to life with desperation, loneliness and homelessness along with secrecy, lies and deception. And while this type of story is not unique, the way in which Kerry Fisher has portrayed it is quite original.

And then there was the ending. It wasn't what I expected...but it highlighted the reality and left readers with a sense of wondering. Although I don't normally like loose ends, this one dangled like a promise of what was to come. It's up to us to decide, I guess.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE WOMAN IN MY HOME and didn't want my time with Rebecca, Cath, Dolly or Sandy to end. A delightful read that I thoroughly recommend.

I would like to thank #KerryFisher, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWomanInMyHome in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kerry Fisher was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent many years living in Spain, Italy and France. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families.

Other than reading and writing, Kerry loves cooking, entertaining, wine and friends. Though she admits to be being not very groomed and a bit messy.

She now lives in Surrey with her very tolerant husband, with an intermittent empty nest as her two young adult children come and go.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

Friday, 25 March 2022

REVIEW: The Villa by Clare Boyd

The Villa by Clare Boyd

Genre: Contemporary fiction. Family dram

Read: 25th March 2022

Published: 17th March 2022

★ 1 star

DESCRIPTION:

One perfect family. Two weeks in the sun. A secret that will tear them apart.

Nora just wanted some time with her daughters, away from everything, in the stunning stone villa under the heat of the French sun. Lazy days by the pool, freckles appearing on tanned cheeks, laughter over cocktails on the terrace. She’s so proud of her girls. They might have their differences, but they’ve grown into confident, independent young women, with their own way of seeing things.

But when Nora gathers everyone around the table on that first night, she realises it’s time to tell them. And as she tops up her wine, her hand shakes. She knows nothing could have prepared them for what she’s about to say. But what she doesn’t know, is that hers is not the only secret…

A heartbreaking and totally addictive page-turner about motherhood at its best, and its worst, and the lies we tell to protect the ones we love. Anyone who adores Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult and Kerry Fisher will stay up all night reading.

MY REVIEW:

This is the third Clare Boyd book I've read and the second that has disappointed. Marketed as a thriller, THE VILLA is anything but. It's more like a family drama as most reviewers like me have found out. We are lead to believe we are getting a psychological thriller with some massive secret that will destroy lives and keep us on the edge of our seats, but what we actually get is a family that does nothing but squabble and lie to each other.

Honestly, at 30% in with no real sense of what the big secret is because what Nora revealed on their first night in the villa was hardly going to be the massive secret we have been lead to believe we're getting. By that point, I didn't care what the secret was...I just wanted to escape the toxicity of the villa because honestly...none of them could be honest with each other if their lives depended on it.

I really struggled with this book, not because of the emotional tale buried somewhere in there, but because it was so slow and uneventful. I kept waiting for the promised edge of your seat thrills with this huge secret that had the potential to tear them all apart. In the end, I skimmed through to the end to find out what it was. I got a vague idea but I don't think it was worth me investing any more time than I already had.

Sorry but this one failed. I can do some family dramas, but I was expecting a thriller and it sadly disappointed. I like dark and twisty but this wasn't it. And addictive it certainly wasn't. I didn't like any of the characters and the story itself was so slow and boring that I couldn't care less what happened to any of them.

I know others have enjoyed this book but for me it was hugely disappointing and not for me. Life's too short for books we don't enjoy...

I would like to thank #ClareBoyd, #Netgalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheVilla in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Clare Boyd lives with her husband and their two daughters in Surrey, where her little green shed at the bottom of the garden provides a haven for her writing life.

Before becoming a writer, she enjoyed a career in television, as a researcher in documentaries and then as a script editor in drama at the BBC and Channel Four, where her love of storytelling took hold.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Tuesday, 15 March 2022

REVIEW: The Step Child by Nicole Trope

The Step Child by Nicole Trope

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Women's fiction, Family drama, Domestic thriller

Read: 9th March 2022

Published: 15th March 2022

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Three-year-old Millie Everleigh disappears on a crisp winter’s day, and nothing is as it seems…

It’s the phone call every mother dreads.

I’m climbing into the car after a trip to the grocery store. As the engine starts, my phone rings. It’s my stepdaughter, Shelby, who is babysitting my three-year-old little girl Millie.

‘I only went upstairs for a second,’ she says through her sobs. ‘She’s gone.’

I race home to find my blue-eyed baby girl missing, and my heart ripped out of my chest.

When the police turn up, Shelby’s story starts to unravel. What is she hiding?

Then I get a message saying, ‘Your husband is not who you think he is.’ Could he be lying?

Suddenly, my family feel like strangers. Everyone has a secret – even me.

No one knows why I was late coming back from the store, and the guilt I’ve been feeling ever since…

Once the truth comes out, all of our lies exposed, will it be too late to save my precious child?

A pulse-pounding psychological thriller about family secrets, shocking pasts and the lies we tell ourselves in order to survive. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty and The Wife Between Us.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Nicole Trope's heart-wrenching domestic thriller drama THE STEP CHILD.

Nicole Trope is hands down one of my favourite go-to authors that I will pick up without even reading the description. Nothing she writes is a disappointment. And there is no such thing as a bad Nicole Trope book. Every thing she has written (that I've read so far) has been emotional, heart-wrenching and yet thrilling at the same time. You cannot help but be moved by her stories...and at some point, usually the end, I find myself teary and emotional by the beautiful tale she has woven. It's almost like she has a genre all of her own, a niche she has carved out for herself. She's a little contemporary, a little family drama and a little domestic thriller all rolled into one. But whatever she is, Nicole Trope is a master at her craft.

First up, let's meet the main cast of characters around whom this tale is told:

Shelby - the stepdaughter.

Millie - Shelby's 3 year old half sister.

Leslie - Shelby's stepmother and Millie's mother.

Randall - Shelby and Millie's father, husband to Leslie.

Bianca - Shelby's mother and Randall's ex-wife.

Trevor - Shelby's stepfather, married to Bianca.

Ruth - a thirty-something recluse, a hoarder with severe OCD and agoraphobia unrelated to the family although their lives will collide over the course of the next twenty four hours.

It's the phone call every mother dreads. Leslie has popped to the grocery store leaving her 3 year old daughter Millie in the care of her stepdaughter Shelby for what she had promised would be no more than an hour. Leslie is guiltily aware that she has been longer than that so when the phone rings, Shelby's name flashing up on the display, she answers with her apologies for being so long. But she is cut off by Shelby's tearful cries.

"She's gone. Millie's gone!"

Leslie rushes home berating herself with overwhelming guilt that she had left the girls for longer than anticipated. Despite being twelve years old, Leslie and Randall had decided that Shelby was old enough to look after her younger sister. Millie adored her older sister, jumping up and down in excitement the moment Shelby arrived from her mum's to spend the weekend with them. And begrudgingly, Shelby actually loved Millie just as much, although sometimes she just wanted to hang out with her bestie rather than babysit a 3 year old.

And today, she'd had plans with her friend Kiera to go the shops and hang out when Leslie dropped her request on her. "I'll only be an hour - tops," Leslie promised. But she wasn't; she was longer than that and now Millie was missing. And it was all her fault. She was only upstairs for a second; Millie must have opened the door and wandered off. But as Leslie calls the police, Shelby is terrified. Can she keep the truth hidden?

Soon the police are gathered at the Everleigh home, questioning the family and searching the surrounding area. Surely Millie couldn't have gotten far; she was only three after all. Alerts are issued over TV and radio as reporters gather outside the house, waiting for an opportunity to snap a photo or talk to the family whilst inside, Randall and Leslie's world falls apart. They are sure Shelby knows more than she is letting on. She claims that she went upstairs to the bathroom, when there is a perfectly good one downstairs, and that Millie must have opened the door and thus disappeared. Is that what really happened? Or is Shelby hiding something? Added to her worries, Leslie begins receiving messages claiming her husband is not who she thinks he is. What exactly Randall hiding?

And then there is Ruth. Thirty-something though older than her years, Ruth is agoraphobic with severe OCD and a secret she has never told anyone. But now she has another secret...and from her house filled with her collections, her safe place, she sees the news about a missing 3 year girl and flies into a panic. In an attempt to keep another innocent, she makes a terrible mistake. What should she do? It's all gone wrong...everything is wrong.

You may think you know what is going on but don't be too sure. There are plenty of secrets and no one is immune to them as bit by bit they each begin to unravel. There remains an element of mystery throughout as the reader is left wondering whether Millie is even alive or if something sinister has happened. And just when you think the truth is just around the corner, the story takes another turn leaving you scratching your head once again.

I love the three narratives through which the story unfolds - Leslie, Shelby and Ruth. Each woman has their own pieces of the puzzle to contribute as slowly we are given another snippet, another glimpse, another piece as the bigger picture is gradually revealed. The connection between the women is bittersweet and heartbreaking as the significance of THE STEP CHILD becomes clearer as the truth is uncovered. There is intrigue, misdirection, heartache and misconception throughout what is essentially a horrible ordeal for all involved - some in more ways than one.

A truly enjoyable read, THE STEP CHILD is another excellent offering by Aussie author Nicole Trope that is tense, heart-pounding and compelling from start to finish. The reasonably short chapters keep things moving at a steady pace throughout. Even the difficult subject matter was handled with expertise and sensitivity. Your heart will break for those whose lives it affected.

But the pièce de résistance is the ending. The Epilogue unfolds through four narratives but it is the final one that offers the quintessential coup de grâce. And that is why Nicole Trope is a master of her craft.

I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheStepChild in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story.

She is now published by Bookouture and is an Amazon top 100 bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.

She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.